Experience System to Solve Problems in Emergency Reconstruction Projects

Abstract

Introduction: This study aims to create an expert system questionnaire and assess the potential impact of delays and project cost changes after disasters. These are important considerations for achieving sustainable development goals and restoring normalcy to communities affected by natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and fires, environmental crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic, or man-made disasters like wars.

Objectives: The study focuses on construction projects in Iraq after the 2003 war. This hypothesis of this paper came to suggest that utilizing an experience-based system, such as a knowledge-sharing or decision-support system, will help address the challenges faced during the rebuilding process after a disaster, and these challenges extend to include time constraints and limited resources, besides the necessity of faster decision making. There might be no effectiveness in traditional construction projects as in an emergency reconstruction projects scenario; therefore, innovative methodology such as experience system could be crucial. 

Methods: The expert system questionnaire was developed based on input from Iraqi experts and consultants in the construction industry. It includes 80 potential causes of delay, categorized into major and secondary factors. This methodology is being applied for the first time in project management in Iraq.

Results: The results revealed that the main contributors to project delays are contractors, owners, external factors, consulting teams, and systems and instructions, with contribution ratios of 30, 20, 15, 10, and 7.5, respectively. The analysis also showed that secondary factors have a higher linear correlation value than primary factors.

Conclusions: The study found that contractors and external factors, such as those seen in the Covid-19 pandemic, have the most significant impact on project delays, while other factors play a lesser role in project implementation delays.